Undergraduate

Statistics and Predictive Analytics

The Statistics and Predictive Analytics degree at Robert Morris University prepares students for a rewarding career as a data scientist or statistician. Big data continues to be a source for corporations in all fields to make difficult and beneficial decisions. Students are given the tools to not only efficiently extract and process large quantities of data but also to perform sophisticated statistical analysis. In 2012, the Harvard Business Review titled an article “Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century”.

CareerCast named data scientists and statistician as the top 2 of the highest ranked careers in 2016 based on criteria such as job security, stress, compensation, and future prospects. Data scientists are employed in many sectors such as business, sports, health, government, weather, space, and social sciences to name just a few. The insurance industry is also one of the major users of predictive analytics. As such, students in this major initially take common courses to students in our highly regarded actuarial science program.

The Statistics and Predictive Analytics degree prepares students for the exciting world of making decisions by analyzing and making sense of large data sets. This degree provides the skill set to perform detailed statistical analysis as well as understanding how to process, extract, and organize large amounts data in a meaningful way. Individuals with the knowledge to do both of these are known as Data Scientists.

The 2016 version of Careercast , now published online ranked Data Scientists and Statistician, both of which would be applicable to graduates of this major, as the top two jobs. The editors compile statistics on 200 occupations and rank them based on four key criteria: environment, income, employment outlook, and stress. The data comes from government sources, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, as well as studies from trade associations and industry groups.

Predictive Analytics has exploded into every major industry by providing tools to extract, efficiently organize, and analyze useful data to improve decision making processes. The RMU Statistics and Predictive Analytics degree prepares students for this exciting field by providing them with a strong skillset in mathematics, statistics, and database management while giving them the opportunity to work with large data sets. Some examples of predictive analytics applications are:

Organizations in various sports use predictive analytics to evaluate a player’s value or optimize their performance.

Surgeons use devices with sensors that analyze large amounts of data during a medical procedure to make real-time decisions.

Pharmaceutical companies use revolutionary methods to analyze data in the process of developing and testing new drugs.

Retail stores analyze data on consumer spending patterns to help determine what products to sell and to better target their marketing efforts.

Weather models use vast amounts of data to predict catastrophic events and provide early warning to affected residents.

Credit agencies analyze purchasing patterns to assess the risk of identity theft and help protect consumers.

Predictive analytics is also used in the analysis of defensive weapon systems, discovery of new energy sources, improvement of inventory tracking systems, and enhancement air traffic control systems. Some other examples where predictive have the biggest impact can be found in the following article from the Harvard Business Review, Predictive Analytics Impacts. This is only a sample of the growing use of predictive analytics.

Compensation depends on the specific field and employment location. The starting salaries can be well in excess of $55,000 (Predictive Analytics Payscale).

Below is a typical four-year course of study for statistics and predictive analytics students, including major requirements and some electives. Your own schedule will vary based on your own interests. Students entering with college credit for one or more semesters of calculus may accelerate their schedule by taking Probability/Math Statistics I and II during the freshman year.

FRESHMAN/Fall Semester

FRESHMAN/Spring Semester

Argument & Research

Fundamentals of Actuarial Science

Principles Macro Economics

Public Speaking and Persuasion

Calculus w/Analytic Geometry I

Calculus w/Analytic Geometry II

Intro Decision Support Systems

Principles Micro Economics

RMU Core

Introduction to Financial Accounting

SOPHOMORE/Fall Semester

SOPHOMORE/Spring Semester

Probability/Math Statistics I

Probability/Math Statistics II

Calculus w/Analytic Geometry III

Linear Algebra

RMU Core

Professional Communications

Intercultural Communications

C++ Programming

Actuarial Data Analysis

RMU Core

JUNIOR/Fall Semester

JUNIOR/Spring Semester

Data Mining Applications

Predictive Analytics

Statistical Modeling I

Database Management

Intro to Stochastic Processes

Time Series Analysis

Regression Analysis

Elective

RMU Core

RMU Core

SENIOR/Fall Semester

SENIOR/Spring Semester

Health Care Predictive Analytics

Corporate Finance

Principles of Finance

RMU Core

Data Warehousing

Elective

RMU Core

Elective

RMU's statistics and predictive analytics curriculum is specifically designed to prepare students for a career in predictive analytics. Students receive training in statistical methods used to analyze large data sets. Classes are also designed to expose students to techniques of mining and organizing data in such a way as to make it useful for decision makers.

RMU’s campus sits upon 230 scenic, rolling acres in Moon Township, Pa. Our spacious grounds give you all the benefits of a traditional university campus, while being just a short drive from the airport and downtown Pittsburgh. We have recently renovated our classroom facilities, including technology upgrades, as well as our residence halls. This fall we are opening a new School of Business building and a new apartment-style residence hall, Peter Salem Hall.

The School of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science unites faculty members from diverse disciplines and provides opportunities for collaboration in teaching and research between faculty and students. We provide students with real-world experiences that give them the skills they need to compete in the job market. The results show: a 96% job placement rate for our graduates. We emphasize a global curriculum and have a diverse student and faculty body. We make sure our students are engaged citizens of the globe and experienced professionals in sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Scholarships are available based upon academic achievement.

For freshmen, high school grade point average and ACT/SAT scores are used. For transfer students, the cumulative grade point average of all college courses is used. Scholarships range from $1000 per year up to full tuition. (To calculate your scholarship eligibility, click here.)

Higher education is an investment in your future.

At Robert Morris University, we will work closely with you to show you how to finance your education through a combination of need-based financial aid, scholarships, and financing strategies to make your education attainable. RMU has one of the lowest tuition rates of all private institutions in the state, but we know that financing your education can be complicated, and your family might need help in understanding your options.